BUSSHIN SEPTEMBER 2010 BUDDHIST CHURCH OF OAKLAND BUSSHIN september 2010 Volume 53 Number 9 Looking Back, Thinking Ahead, Living Now BY REVEREND HARRY GYOKYO BRIDGE IN THIS ISSUE o much of our lives are con- look back fondly on the past, Snected to the seasons. Our perhaps wishing it could be that Minister’s Message 1 school calendar is set up so that way again. I don’t think that this President’s Musings 2 children can participate in the sum- is necessarily a bad thing, as long mer harvest. We associate many of as we don’t get too caught up Temple Tidbits 2 our holidays, such as Thanksgiving in it, attached to the way things or the Fourth of July, with certain were. Similarly, we often wonder In Memoriam 2 times of year. In fact, many “reli- how the future will turn out. Of gious” holidays, such as Christmas course, we should consider the Mrs. Kayoko Fujimoto 4 or Easter, were originally celebra- future and the effects of our ac- tions of special times of year, the tions, but at the same time, we Bingo Volunteers Needed 6 equinoxes and solstices. shouldn’t worry too much about Nippongo Gakuen 6 Fall Ohigan is one of those how things might be. times. The days have gradually Perhaps this is part of what Nippongo Gakuen Registration 7 been getting shorter – Ohigan Ohigan teaches us – to try and marks the time when day and achieve balance in our lives. I Newsroom OBWA 8 night become equal. And soon the know that this is not a traditional days will get even shorter! This is approach to Ohigan, but I really Momiji Kai News 8 my favorite time of year. I don’t think that the Middle Way is a Jr YBA News 8 know why – maybe because my fundamental Buddhist doctrine birthday is in the fall? Or because with profound implications, and Obon Thank You 8 I like cooler weather, and in the that this Middle Way resonates fall we finally begin to get some deeply with Jodo Shinshu. So Obon Photos 9 relief from the heat of summer. I let us take this opportunity to have a distinct memory of being reflect on our lives and the world Dharma School News 12 in college and realizing, wow, it’s around us, aspiring for balance Picnic Photos 13 getting dark early, with the scents and happiness for all beings. of autumn in the air. Shotsuki Service 16 In a way, nostalgia is inher- In gassho, ently backwards-looking – we Rev. Harry Gyokyo Bridge Calendar BUSSHIN SEPTEMBER 2010 year-end holidays that are just TEMPLE TID-BITS In Memoriam around the corner. As the new Dharma School Renovation year starts, we encourage you to Pardon our dust! As you The Buddhist Church of bring your children and grand- know, the church is having roof Oakland extends its deepest children to Family Dharma Ser- renovations, exterior paint and condolences to the families of vices on Sundays at 10:00 AM. refurbishing. Please do not the following members: Dharma classes begin for the park in the church driveway. youngest in the Nursery School Parking in the lot is not guar- Mitsuye Kato Class and extend to the Jr. YBA anteed. Please call the office to July 12, 2010 high school group. Adult classes verify availability. Thank you are also held on select Sundays for your cooperation at this Jun Fred Miyamoto with Rev. Bridge. The first Fam- time. July 15, 2010 ily Dharma Service of the new Obon Volunteers Chieko Endo year will be on September 12th Arigato gozaimasu to all the July 30, 2010 so please come and join us in volunteers who worked so learning about the Dharma. hard before, during and after May their family members Also in September the other Obon! There are so many find comfort and solace in youth organizations of the Church unsung heroes who work tire- the Nembutsu, Namu amida are organizing their programs. lessly behind the scenes year butsu. The Japanese language program after year! Kudos to all! (Nippongo Gakuen) meets on Saturdays from 9:00 to 12:00 Lost Nenju President’s Musings noon for children from 1st grade Did you lose your Nenju dur- BY STEVE TERUSAKI through high school; with adult ing the Obon weekend? Please t’s September and another classes on Saturday mornings and drop by the office to iden- Isummer season has passed. Thursday evenings. Oakland’s tify and pick up one of several We now turn our attention to a Gakuen is focused on providing found in the church. new school year with new teach- Japanese language instruction to ers, new classrooms and for non-native speakers along with Oldies Dance many a new school, be it middle activities that promote Japanese Did you know Mountain View school, high school, or college; culture. The first Gakuen classes Buddhist Temple ABA is spon- to again be with familiar friends will be Saturday, September 18. soring an “Oldies” dance Sat- while also meeting new ones. As Oakland’s Youth Club will begin urday, October 9th at 7:30pm? parents, grandparents, aunts and forming both boys’ and girls’ “Keep on Dancin’!” will feature uncles, we see this cycle occur- basketball teams in September the live band Somthin’ Else ring every year: children growing for fall practice and league games with songs from the 60’s and up and moving onward; and we in the East Bay Youth Athletic 70’s. Ages 21 and over are in- marvel at how quickly it all hap- League that start in December. vited. $30 before September pens. Yes, summer is over and the Participants can be as young as 6, 25, and $40 at the door. For pace of life seems to quicken as through high school age. Please more info go to http://sites. we look forward, or cringe with find more information about google.com/site/abadance or nervousness, to Fall Ohigan, Hal- both of these organizations on contact Joanne Makishima. loween, Thanksgiving and the the church’s website under the 2 BUSSHIN SEPTEMBER 2010 Organizations tab at www.bud- students. Inside the main church year’s Obon Festival the success dhistchurchofoakland.org were Ikebana exhibits by students that it was. Taihen, otsukaresama In September, we should see of the Ohana School; and Buddhist deshita. the results of the Roof Renovation sculpture by Mr. Takayuki Zoshi This year’s Hatsubon service efforts. New Roof Dragons will of Sebastopol. It was wonderful to was held for 14 families who lost grace the Church’s roofline and see all who came to the Festival loved ones in the past year. We the leaks into the church’s second to witness and participate in the hope that in that loss and the floor rooms should be no longer. many cultural activities; and of mourning process that follows, Scaffolding around the church course to dance in the Bon Odori. new meaning and appreciation building may still be in place in The odori area was resplendent can be found in how your loved September; however, the bulk with new lanterns provided by one has positively impacted your of the work on the roof renova- Brian Nagata and Bukkyo Dendo lives. And it was also with great tion should be complete prior to Kyokai/Numata Center. Thank sadness that we learned of the the beginning of September. The you to the many families who passing of another great lady of Roof Campaign will still be on- donated to the Roof Campaign as the church on the day before the going as we need to continue to a tribute to their loved ones and Obon Festival: Mrs. Chieko Endo. fund raise to meet our campaign spent the day searching among We will truly miss her spirit; her goal of $400,000. As of the begin- the many lantern tags for the ones ever-presence around the church, ning of August, we have received that had their loved one’s names particularly at Bazaar and Obon; additional donations of $17,055, written on them. I would like to and her dedication and service including $2,655 for the Obon especially thank Mrs. June Ma- to the OBWA, Momiji-kai and lantern memorial tags bringing suyama for chairing the Festival. the Church Board. Our sincerest the total for the Campaign to Her tireless behind-the-scenes ef- condolences are extended to the $179,927, or 45% of our Cam- forts were critical to the Festival’s Endo Family on this loss. Namo paign goal of $400,000. success. June alone could not have Amida Butsu. At this writing, we are just re- made the Festival a success, for it Finally, if you’ve grown up in covering from another successful was the efforts of all of you who the church; recently found a Obon weekend. Although Sat- came out to help: from food prep new interest in participating in urday seemed to start off slowly to yagura construction; from grill- the activities and direction of at 3:00, by 5:00 pm the church ing chickens and steaks to imaga- the church; and/or new to the grounds were filled with people wayaki; to permit submittals, Buddhist Church of Oakland, enjoying the great food and won- thank you letters and decorations; please send me an e-mail to derful weather while listening to to the Oakland Fire Department open the discussion on how to the Eden Aoba Taiko group and washing down Jackson Street; and get involved. My e-mail address the Chidori Band.